This invention relates generally to brassieres and, more particularly, to exercise brassieres that provide adequate and comfortable support and that provide for a more natural, contoured appearance rather than a flattened appearance.
With exercise and athletics now a large part of the daily activities of many women, there is a wide variety of exercise clothing from which a woman may choose to wear. In choosing an exercise brassiere, a woman ideally will choose a brassiere that not only looks good on her, but also that provides adequate and comfortable support. Support is important, not only for comfort, but also for health reasons, since without support, the breast tissue may deteriorate and the breasts may prematurely sag. An ideal exercise brassiere will provide support similar to the support that an underwire brassiere provides, but without the bulky, uncomfortable underwire.
Although many types of exercise brassieres have been developed over the years, none are believed to have provided the desired degree of comfort and support. For instance, seams or buckles in the fabric of many prior brassieres can chafe and/or irritate the skin of the wearer. Some exercise brassieres have been made of a fabric that does not allow the skin to breathe, and thus the skin of the wearer may not be allowed to adequately cool during exercise. Furthermore, some of the brassiere fabrics that contact the wearer's skin cannot absorb the perspiration that can accumulate during exercise, thus causing the skin to develop a rash.
Additionally, some exercise brassieres have not provided adequate support. Some exercise brassieres consist of only a lightweight fabric, of varying degrees of elasticity, that covers the breasts of the wearer. Thus, wearers of these types of exercise brassieres may suffer from soreness in the muscles supporting the breasts and may incur some of the health risks outlined above.
Furthermore, some exercise brassieres have not provided for a natural, contoured appearance of the breasts. These brassieres have a continuous front panel that binds the breasts to the body, providing an undesired, flattened appearance.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that there is a definite need for an exercise brassiere that provides adequate support for the breasts, that is also comfortable to wear, and that provides a more natural, contoured appearance rather than a flattened appearance. The present invention fulfills these needs.